After the firing of the disgraced Mike Rice, Rutgers is targeting University of Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley to take over its embattled basketball program, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

After the release of a video tape depicting abusive behavior by Rice, the Rutgers program and name is in disarray.

Hurley is the top choice for embattled athletic director Tim Pernetti, sources told Yahoo! Sports. However, Pernetti's own job could be in peril as part of the scandal's fallout.

Hurley's name is a magical one in the New Jersey basketball community, and his candidacy would be popular with alumni and high school coaches. As Rutgers enters the highly competitive Big Ten Conference next season, a coach with the credibility to recruit in the region will be paramount.

After quickly turning around Wagner's program with 25 victories in his second season, Hurley was hired away to Rhode Island where his early recruiting successes could pave the way for a dramatic turnaround in his second season in the Atlantic 10.

His father, Bob, is the Hall of Fame coach of St. Anthony in Jersey City, and his brother, Bobby, is the new head coach at the University of Buffalo.

Another strong candidate for the Rutgers job could be Detroit Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, sources told Yahoo! Sports. Pernetti expressed interest with Frank before the hiring of Rice four years ago, but he decided to stay on the NBA track. Frank had significant success as the coach of the New Jersey Nets for six-plus seasons, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals three times. He also has a collegiate background as an assistant with Marquette and Tennessee.

What's more, Frank could be open to the return to New Jersey, where his wife, Susan, has been ill. He left the Pistons for six games to be with her and his two children during the season.